Team Melli’s next official match in the World Cup 2022 qualifying rounds is fast approaching. Iran will play against Hong Kong in Bahrain thirteen days from now.

 *Squad List

Meanwhile, The Croat head coach Dragan Skocic will announce the squad after the next round of league matches on Monday 24th May, after both Persepolis and Esteghlal play their postponed matches against Zob Ahan and Sanat Naft Abadanaft respectively.

Esteghlal and Persepolis are expected to have the most players in the Team Melli squad.

On concluding the matches on Monday, the final list will be announced at midnight, and the players named will have to make themselves available by the next day for training camp. Due to the presence of a number of legionnaires in this list, Skocic informed the players he picked to leave for Iran as soon as possible to participate in the training camp from day one. Most of the European Leagues have played their last matches on Sunday and pending flight availability, there should be no major delay in the availability of the legionnai4es in Tehran.

* Commencement of the training camp 24th May

According to the schedule, all the players and staff will undergo COVID19 PCR checks before joining the camp. After the results are determined, the group will hold its first training session at the National Football Academy second field.

The squad will finally leave for Kish Island on May 26th and will hold its first training session together in the late evening when the weather cools down, at the Kish Olympic Stadium.

The squad will be holding training sessions daily with all sessions conducted around the times of the matches so that the player acclimates to the condition existing in Bahrain. With the practice sessions being held late evenings, the lights of Kish Island Olympic Stadium have been strengthened to address Skochic’s most important concern on the grass.

* Vaccination of players

After the corona test is declared negative, legionnaires who have not yet received the Corona vaccine in their home countries will receive the first dose of the vaccine. Also, the group that passed the first stage of vaccination in Tehran will receive the second dose in Kish Island.

* Flight to Bahrain

The Iranian camp on Kish Island continues until 31st May. On the same day, the national team will fly to Manama, the capital of Bahrain, on a chartered flight, and will play its first match on June 3rd against Hong Kong, which is a warm-up for The game against Bahrain on 7th June.

Upon arrival in Bahrain, the national team will undergo corona testing and practice indoors.

For Iran to assure a place in the next round, they win have to win all their games, to overcome Iraq and Bahrain and advance to the third qualifying round of the World Cup.

On Sunday, Bahrain played an international friendly against Ukraine. The match ended in a 1-1 draw with the Ukrainians scoring in the dying minutes of the match.

Meanwhile, Iraq will be playing a friendly match against Tajikistan on Monday.  The Slovenian Head Coach SrečkoKatanec has announced the names of 26 players for this match.

* Match Schedule

DATE	TIME	COMPETETION	STAGE	TEAM HOME	TEAM AWAY	VENUE
21-Mar-24	19:00	fifa World Cup 2026 Qualifiers	Round 2 Matchday 3	IRAN	TURKMENISTAN	Azadi Stadium , Tehran
26-Mar-24	18:00	fifa World Cup 2026 Qualifiers	Round 2 Matchday 4	TURKMENISTAN	IRAN	Venue Aşgabat Stadiony , Aşgabat
06-Jun-24		fifa World Cup 2026 Qualifiers	Round 2 Matchday 5	HONG KONG	IRAN	Hong Kong Stadium. Hong Kong
11-Jun-24		fifa World Cup 2026 Qualifiers	Round 2 Matchday 6	IRAN	UZBEKISTAN	Azadi Stadium, Tehran
05-Sep-24		fifa World Cup 2026 Qualifiers	Round 3 Matchday 1
10-Sep-24		fifa World Cup 2026 Qualifiers	Round 3 Matchday 2
10-Oct-24		fifa World Cup 2026 Qualifiers	Round 3 Matchday 3
15-Oct-24		fifa World Cup 2026 Qualifiers	Round 3 Matchday 4
14-Nov-24		fifa World Cup 2026 Qualifiers	Round 3 Matchday 5
19-Nov-24		fifa World Cup 2026 Qualifiers	Round 3 Matchday 6

 

*Group Standing

 

Group C